Enhancement of utilization of paddy straw for the cultivation of pleurotus- an ecofriendly approach

Pleurotus species, two parental (P. florida PAU-5 and P. sajor caju PSC-3) and two hybrids (no.42 and no. 46) were grown on paddy straw supplemented with soybean straw, cotton residue and wheat bran @ 10 per cent on dry wt. basis. The yield improvement of 11.26 and 11.08 per cent was observed with soybean straw in hybrid no. 42 and parent P. florida PAU-5, respectively whereas cotton residue gave higher yield of 11.45 and 11.96 per cent in hybrid no. 46 and PSC-3, respectively. Among the four growth regulators (IBA, IAA, GA and NA), IBA at 10⁻⁴M concentration showed biological efficiency of 84 per cent in hybrid no. 42. Supplementation of paddy straw and use of growth regulators had enhanced the yield potential of Pleurotus species.